LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles County is once again set to formally recognize April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, reaffirming both the historical truth of the Armenian Genocide and the County’s continued solidarity with the Armenian people in the face of ongoing anti-Armenian persecution.
A motion introduced by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on April 7 calls on the Board of Supervisors to officially designate April 24, 2026 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day in Los Angeles County and to direct County departments to promote related commemorative events and educational materials through departmental websites and social media platforms.
In the motion, Barger notes that Los Angeles County is home to the largest Armenian diaspora community outside Armenia and emphasizes the County’s longstanding role in commemorating the Armenian Genocide of 1915, during which 1.5 million Armenians were systematically exterminated by the Ottoman Turkish government.
The motion also directly addresses Turkey’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide, stating that despite overwhelming historical evidence, the Turkish government persists in denying and distorting the truth. It further underscores that local, state and federal leaders, along with international human rights organizations, have condemned the genocide and continue to call on Turkey to acknowledge its responsibility for the crime.
Importantly, the motion places the Armenian Genocide in the context of continuing anti-Armenian violence. It states that the ethnic cleansing of Armenians did not end in 1915, pointing to Azerbaijan’s 2020 military assault on Artsakh, the ten-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor, and the forcible displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Artsakh in September 2023. The measure also references the continued captivity of Armenian political leaders and civilians held hostage by Azerbaijan.
The Board motion recalls that Los Angeles County has consistently urged the federal government to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan for its human rights violations and to demand the immediate release of Armenian hostages. In doing so, it links remembrance of the Armenian Genocide not only to historical justice, but also to the present-day defense of Armenian rights and dignity.
The motion further highlights the Board’s previous actions on Armenian issues, including its unanimous 2021 call urging then-President Joe Biden to formally recognize the Armenian Genocide. That recognition, issued on April 24, 2021, is described in the motion as a historic achievement made possible by decades of determined advocacy by the Armenian diaspora.
At the same time, the measure stresses that recognition alone is insufficient. It warns that continued vigilance is necessary in the face of ongoing threats to the Armenian people and calls for a renewed commitment to preventing genocide, defending human rights and ensuring that history is neither rewritten nor erased.
If adopted, the motion will not only officially recognize April 24 in Los Angeles County, but also expand public awareness efforts through County agencies. That step is especially meaningful in a county where the Armenian community has played a major civic, cultural and political role for generations.
In a period when Armenians continue to confront both the denial of past crimes and the consequences of new ones, such actions carry importance beyond symbolism. They affirm that remembrance must be joined to truth, education and moral clarity. For the Armenian community of Los Angeles County—and for all those committed to justice—the annual commemoration of April 24 remains both a solemn obligation and a statement that the suffering of the Armenian people will neither be forgotten nor politically erased.
